Separator



Aug. 23, 1938.

H. H. LOGAN S EPARATOR Original Filed July 5l, 1936 Patented Aug. 23, 1938 UNITED sTATEs SEPABATGB Henry H. Logan, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Logan Engineering Co., Chicago, IIL, a corporation oi.' Illinois Application July 31, 1936, semi No. 93,625 Renewed November 26, 1937 `1B Claims.

The present invention relates to separators and is particularly concerned with devices which are adapted to separate liquids from gases.

Compressed air usually contains moisture, as

moisture is carried in free air, and as the air is compressed the amount of moisture per unit volume is increased. As the volume of the air is reduced, the relative humidity of the air increases and the moisture in the air bears a larger ratio to the volume of the air than it would have before the air was compressed.

Such moisture in the air causes piping to rust, and in cold Weather it frequently causes the air pipes to freeze and stop the air flow, the moisture gradually cooling on the inner surfaces of the pipes and freezing until the pipes become entirely closed by ice.

In many operations where compressed air is l used, such as in paint spraying, water causes damage to the paint job. When the air is used for sand blasting, it tends to cause the sand to cake and to interfere with the efliciency of the sand blasting process. When the sand blasting is done with air and steel shot, which is desirable for some purposes, moisture causes the shot to rust which damages the work being done.

When compressed air is used to blow dust, cuttings, etc., from machines, it should alsobe perfectly dry for otherwise it will tend to cause the parts of the machine to rust. Compressed air also usually carries a certain amount of oil picked up from the air compressor cylinder, which, of l course, must be lubricated.

When air is used for such purposes as refining oil for human use, forcing milk out of tank cars or other similar purposes to which it is frequently put, it is obvious that it should be free from foreign matter, such as water, oil, dust particles, or the like. y

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improved separator which is adapted to separate from air or other gas such foreign matters as water, oil, other liquids, or the like.

Another object of the invention is the provision 15 of an improved separator which is highly eilicient in operation, economical to install, small in size, and which has all of its parts accessible for inspection or repair.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved unit assembly' in which all of the moving parts are secured to a `single member so that they may be removed from theA housing as a unit for inspection and repair, and so that when the housing is placed over them and fastened the assembly is completed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the single sheet of drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a separator constructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken on a plane passing through the axis of the intake and discharge apertures of the housing, which are centrally located;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional plane taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 4;-4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the shape of the blades.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the separator, which is indicated in its entirety by the numeral I0, is preferably provided with a housing I I which may be constructed of cast metal and which may be cylindrical in shape, provided with one closed end I2 having a centrally located discharge port `I3 which is threaded to receive a discharge pipe I4. The opposite end of the housing is open, but is provided with a cover I5 forming a part of a base member I6. The cover I5 may have an annular shoulder I1 which is adapted to fit in a cylindrical wall I8 of the housing II. Ihe cover I5 also has a at surface engaging the end surface of the housing, to which it is secured by a plurality of cap screws I9 passing through the cover and threaded into the housing wall. The cover and housing may be finished to a water-tight fit or they may be provided with a suitable gasket.

The base I6, which comprises the cover I5, has an upwardly extending conduit 2U centrally located and provided with a threaded intake port 2I adapted to receive an intake pipe 22. The conduit 20 extends upward in the housing I I and also forms a standard for supporting the moving parts g of the separator. Conduit 20 is formed with an enlargement 23 at its upper end and with a radially extending baille ilange 24. The bore 25 in the conduit 2U communicates with a plurality of arcuate ports 26 located about a supporting hub 21 which is carried by a plurality of integral inwardly extending lugs 28. The hub 21 has a central vertical bore 29 for receiving an assembly bolt 3D which is provided with a nut 3 I. The assembly bolt 3I supports a cap 32 and a plurality of anti-friction bearings 33 by means of supporting the inner races of these bearings.

-Each of the bearings is identical and, therefore, only one need be described and each includes a plurality of balls 34, an inner race 35 and an outer race l5. 'I'he inner race 35 has a bore I1 which slidably engages the bolt Il. Spacing members Il and Il are interposed between the inner rac I5 on the bolt Il and the cap 32 has a centrally located hub 4l with a bore 4l, receiving bolt 5l. 'Ihe bolt 2l clampsall of the races Il. spacers Il and l5 and hubs 21 and 4I together, and the other parts of the bearings, suchv as the balls 34 and races It, are suitably held in place by their engagement with their respective inner races. 'Ihe anti-friction bearings 34-35 support a plurality of rotors 42-45 which may be identical in construction, except that two of the rotors are preferably iight-hand rotors and the other two left-hand rotors. 'Ihe rotors are alternately disposed so that if the lowermost rotor 45 is a righthand rotor, then number 44 is left-hand, number 45 right-hand and 42 left-hand. Each of these rotors comprises a cast metal member having a centrally located hub 45 comprising a tubular member of sumcient length to span two of the outer races 35 and a spacer 2l. The hub 4I has a pair of aligned bores 41, 4l of the same size, separated by a rib 4l which is engaged between the two races I5 to locate the rotor definitely with respect to its ball-bearings. 'Ihe rib 45 is of the same thickness as the spacer Il between two bearings for each rotor.

Hub 4I supports a plurality (in this case seven) of radial and diagonally extending blades 51-63. The blades are denned by the circular outer line 5l, the circular inner line 5l and the two diverging lines 52, 5l in Fig. 3. Their pitch is shown in Pig. 4. The blades on each rotor slope in the same direction, and obviously the blades on the right-hand rotors slope in the opposite direction to those on the left-hand rotors.

'I'he slots 54 between the blades are defined by the trailing edge 55 and the leading edge 55 of adjacent blades. The blades 51-83 support at their peripheries a baille 54 which is preferably substantially frusta-conical in shape and of greater length than the hub-45, so that the bail'les 54 overlap each other. The taper of the bames 64 is such that the baflies on one rotor at the small end may be received in the larger end of the bailies of the next rotor, leaving a slight clearance 55 between them to permit moisture to run down the surfaces of the baule. Each baille 64 may be provided with one or more drilled apertures 55 located just above the outer surface of each blade at the center of the blade, that is, midway between the edges 52, 53, to permit liquid to drain to the outer surface of the bames 54. The lowermost baille 54 receives and overlaps the radial extending flange 24 on the standard 20, which has a frusto-conical surface 51 like the outside of a baille.

The cap I2 is preferably provided with a cylindrical flange 5 secured to the hub 55 by a plurality of integral struts lll. The cylindrical flange 5I nts in a bore 1| in a tubular extension 12 of the housing Il leading to the discharge port Il. The cap 22 also has a radially extending ange 1I formed with a downwardly extending border flange 1 4 having an inner surface 15 which is frusto-conical, like the lower inside of a baille 54, nttlng over the topmost rotor 42 in a manner slmilar to the nt between adjacent rotors, that is, closely spaced but without contact. The radial flange 13 may have a plurality of riilles or ribs 16 located on its lower surface increasing the resistance to the path of the air leaking around the outside of the rotors and causing the air to pass through the rotors rather than around the outside and in between the uppermost rotor and the cap 32.

It will be thus observed that the bearings are locked in place and the rotors are held in proper position by the annular ring on each rotor which engages between two bearings. Each bearing may be provided with a shield on the outside so that the center space between adjoining bearings may be packed with grease for lubrication, and all of the moving parts may be removed as a unit since they are all supported by the standard l5.

'Ihe operation of the device is as follows: The air passing upward through the intake port 2| causes the rotors to revolvel the blades of which cut across the air stream. As the particles of oil or moisture come into contact with ,the rapidly revolving blades, these particles are thrown outward by centrifugal force until deflected by the conical rim, from which they are thrown in a downward direction dropping into the base chamber 11. From this chamber they are drained oil' by a trap which is connected with the liquid outlet 1I, the trap preferably being of the type which opens when liquid rises in it, but which closes and prevents air fromescaping when the liquid has been drained off. The resistance to the passage of air outside of the rotors is greater than the resistance passing through the rotors and, therefore, the air or the major part of it passes through the rotors and causes them to revolve.

The housing Il is preferably provided with a boss lll adjacent its lower part in one of its side walls, the boss being provided with a relatively large tapped threaded bore Il. The bore Il may be closed by a threaded clean-out plug, and the opening 8l may be used for observation of the parts or for cleaning out the separator housing by means of a blast of air or by the attachment of the water hose, the sediment, etc., being discharged through the usual discharge port for liquid. Of course, during the clean-out operation by means of compressed air or water the intake and output lines of the separator are shut oiT by appropriate valves.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States. is:

'1. In a separator, the combination of a housing with a cover plate, said cover plate having a standard and a plurality of rotors, each rotor having blades adapted to be engaged by a fluid medium to impel the rotors into rotation whereby liquid in the fluid medium is engaged by the blades of the rotors and thrown off centrifugally, said rotors and cover plate being removable as a unit, said rotors being provided with a peripheral band adapted to act as a baille to deect liquid downward and outward, said baffles being frusta-conical in shape and overlapping bafiles on adjacent rotors.

2. In a separator, the combination of a housing with a cover plate, said cover plate having a standard and a plurality of rotors, each rotor having blades adapted to be engaged by a fluid medium to impel the rotors into rotation whereby liquid in the fluid medium is engaged by the blades of the rotors and thrown off centrifugally,

ing with a cover plate, said cover plate having a standard and a plurality of rotors, each rotor having blades adapted to 'be engaged by a fluid medium to impel the rotors into rotation whereby liquidin the fluid medium is engaged by the blades of the rotors and thrown off centrifugally, said rotors and' cover plate being removable as a unit, said rotors being provided with a peripheral band adapted to act as a baille to deect liquid downward and outward, said bafiles being frustoconical in shape and overlapping bailles on adjacent rotors, saidrotors being alternately arranged for opposite rot-ation, andeach rotor be- ,ing supported on a pair of anti-friction bearings.

4. In a separator, the combination of a housing with a cover plate, said cover plate having a standard and a plurality of rotors, each rotor having blades adapted to be engaged by a fluid medium to impel the rotors into rotation whereby liquid in the fluid medium is engaged by the blades of the rotors and thrown off centrifugally, said rotors and cover plate being removable as a unit, said rotors being provided with a peripheral band adapted to act as a baille to deilect liquid downward and outward, said band projecting above the blades and said peripheral band being provided with drainage apertures above the blades.

5. In a liquid separator, the combination of a housing provided with means for supporting in the housing a plurality of rotors, said housing having an inlet port at one side of said-rotors and an outlet port at the opposite side of said rotors, and said rotors substantially filling said housing so that a fluid medium passing from said inlet port to said outlet port is compelled to pass through said rotors, each rotor having a plurality of blades inclined with respect to the direction of motion of the fluid medium, whereby the rotors are adapted to be rotated by the fluid medium, each of said rotors having a peripherally extending annular band, and said bands on adjacent rotors overlapping each other, for the purpose of minimizing the egress of fluid medium as such from the edges of said rotors, whereby liquid in the fluid medium is engaged by the blades of said rotors and directed to said peripheralbands and discharged from the edges of said peripheral bands.

6. In a liquid separator, the combination of a housing provided with means for supporting in the housing a plurality of lrotors, said housing having an inlet port at one side of said rotors and, an outlet port at the oppositeside of said rotors, and said rotors substantially lling said housing so that a fluid medium passing from said inlet port to said outlet port is compelled to pass through said rotors, each rotor having a plurality of blades inclined with respect to the direction of motion of the fluid medium, whereby the rotors are adapted to be rotated by the fluid medium, each of said rotors having a peripherally extending annular band, and said bands on adjacent rotors overlapping eaoh other, for the purpose of minimizing the egress of fluid medium as such from the edges of said rotors, whereby liquid in the fluid mediumis engaged by the blades of said rotors aha directed to said peripheral bands and discharged from the edges of said peripheral bands, the adjacent rotors having their blades sloping in opposite directions, whereby adjacent rotors are arranged to rotate in opposite directions, to increase the random contact of fluid medium with the blades of said rotors.

'7. In a liquid separator, the combination of a housing provided with means for supporting in the housing a plurality of rotors, said housing having an inlet port at one side of said rotors and an outlet portat the opposite side of said rotors, and said rotors substantially lling said housing so that a fluid medium passing from said inlet port to said outlet port is compelled to pass jacent rotors overlapping each other, for the purpose of minimizing the egress of fluid medium as such from the edges of said rotors, whereby liquid in the fluid medium is engaged by the blades of said rotors and directed to said peripheral bands and discharged from the edges of said peripheral bands, said overlapping perip-heral bands extending downwardly and outwardly for directing the course of liquid separated from the fluid medium by means of centrifugal force.

8. In a liquid separator, the combination of a housing provided with means for supporting in the housing a plurality of rotors, said housing having van inlet port at one side of said rotors and an outlet port at the opposite side of said rotors; and said rotors substantially lling said housing so that a fluid medium passing from said inlet port to said outlet port .is compelled to pass through said rotors, each rotor having a plurality of blades inclined with respect to the direction of motion of the fluid medium, whereby the rotors are adapted to be rotated by the fluid medium, each of said rotors having a peripherally extending annular band, and said bands on adjacent rotors overlapping each other, for the purpose of minimizing the egrees of fluid vme dium as such from the edges of said rotors, whereby liquid' in the fluid medium is engaged by the blades of said rotors and directed to said peripheral bands and discharged' from the edges of said peripheral bands, said rotors being supported upon a standard formed with one of said ports and provided with a conduit leading thereto.

9. In a liquid separator, the combination of a housing provided with means for supporting in the housing a plurality of rotors, said housing having an inlet port at one side of said rotors and an outlet port at the opposite side of said rotors, and said rotors substantially lling said housing so that a fluid medium passing from said inlet port to said outlet port is compelled to pass through said rotors, each rotor having a plurality of blades inclined with respect to the direction of motion of the fluid medium, whereby the rotors are adapted to be rotated by the fluid medium, each of said rotors having a peripherally extending annular band, and said bands on adjacent rotors overlapping each other, for the purpose of minimizing the egrees of fluid medium as such from the edges of said rotors, whereby liquid in the fluid medium is engaged by the blades of said rotors and directed to said peripheral bands and discharged from the edges of said peripheral bands, each of said rotors being mounted upon a pair of spaced, anti-friction bearings.

10. In a separator, the combination of a housing having an inlet passage at one end and an outlet passage at the opposite end and having a portion removable to provide access to the interior of the housing, and a series of rotors disposed within the housing, said rotors being provided with blades to cause their rotation by the passage of fluid through the housing, and said rotors being mounted on anti-friction bearings having their stationary members fastened in such a manner that they may be supported by a part of the housing and secured by a bolt passing through the center of the rotors, and having a cap member clamped with the bearings by said bolt, said cap member provided with openings through which the fluid may pass, and having a series of bailles, and a skirt surrounding a portion of the adjacent rotor, the bailies and skirt being provided to arrest any liquid that may be carried past the outer edges of the rotors.

11.l In a separator, the combination of a housing having an inlet passage at one end and an outlet passage at the opposite end, with provision for access to the interior of the housing, with a unit comprising a series of rotors arranged to rotate on bearings secured to a part of the housing by means of a central bolt, said central bolt also securing in fixed relation to the part of the housing to which the central bolt is attached, a circular member provided with bailles to arrest liquid that may be carried past the periphery of the rotors, said circular member having a projection fitting a portion of the housing, and arranged to steady the bearings of the rotors, and to permit the assembly or disassembly of the housing without interfering with the assembly of the rotors and bearings.

12. In a liquid separator, the combination of a housing forming a separator chamber, said housing having a duid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a liquid drain outlet, with a separator unit comprising a supporting bolt and a plurality of rotary impellers, said impellers having laterally sloping and radially extending blades adapted to be engaged by fluid passing through said chamber and through said impellers to cause said impellers to rotate, said impellers being provided with peripherally extending bailles at the ends of said blades, and said bailles being adapted to overlap baflles on adjacent impellers without contact between said bailles.

13. In a liquid separator, the combination of a housing forming a separator chamber, said housing having a iiuid inlet, a duid outlet, and a liquid drain outlet, with a separator unit comprising a supporting bolt and a plurality of rotary impellers, said impellers having laterally sloping and radially extending blades adapted to be engaged by fluid passing through said chamber and through said impellers to cause said impellers to rotate, said impellers being provided with peripherally extending baffles at the ends of said said shoulders for each impeller for rotatably mounting said impellers on said bolt.

14. In a liquid separator, the combination of a housing forming a separator chamber, said housing having a duid inlet, a duid outlet, and a liquid drain outlet, with a separator unit comprising a supporting bolt and a plurality of rotary impellers, said impellers havingV laterally sloping and radially extending blades adapted to beengaged by fluid passing through said chamber and through said impellers to cause said impellers to rotate, said impellers being provided with peripherally extending baiiles at the ends of said blades, and said bailles being adapted to overlap baiiles on adjacent impellers without contact between said bailles. said bolt being carried by one of the walls of said chamber, said latter wall forming a closure for said chamber.

15. In a liquid separator, the combination of a housing forming a separator chamber, said housing having a duid inlet, a duid outlet, and a liquid drain outlet, with a separator unit comprising a supporting bolt and a plurality of rotary impellers, said impellers having laterally sloping and radially extending blades adapted to be engaged by duid passing through said chamber and through said impellers to cause said impellers to rotate, said impellers being provided with peripherally extending baiiles at the ends of said blades, and said baiiles being adapted to overlap baiiles on adjacent impellers without contact between said bailles, said bolt also carrying a cap member provided with apertures for passage of the duid, and said cap member extending over the blade of the adjacent impeller and having a baille overlapping the baille of said adjacent impeller.

16. In a liquid separator, the combination of' a housing forming a separator chamber, said housing having a fluid inlet, a duid outlet, and a liquid drain outlet, with a. separator unit comprising a supporting bolt and a plurality of rotary impellers, said impellers having laterally sloping and radially extending blades adapted to be engaged by duid passing through said chamber and through said impellers to cause said impellers to rotate, said impellers being provided with peripherally extending baiiles at the ends of said blades, said bailles being adapted to overlap baffies on adjacent impellers without contact between said baiiles, said bolt also carrying a cap member provided with apertures for passage of the fluid, said cap member extending over the blade of the adjacent impeller and having a bafde overlapping the baille of said adjacent impeller, and said cap being provided with a multiplicity of stepped surfaces extending concentrically about said bolt for increasing the length of path of leakage between said cap and the adjacent impeller.

17. In a liquid separator, the combination of a housing forming a separator chamber, said housing having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a liquid drain outlet, with a separator unit comprising a supporting bolt and a plurality of rotary impellers, said impellers having laterally sloping and radially extending blades adapted to be engaged by duid passing through said chamber and through said impellers to cause said impellers to rotate, said impellers being provided with peripherally extending bailles at the ends of said blades, said ballles being adapted to overlap bafiles on adjacent impellers without contact between said baiiles, said bolt also carrying a cap member provided with apertures for passage of the uid, said cap member extending over the blade of the adjacent impeller and having a baffle overlapping the baille of said adjacent impeller, said housing having a bore, and said cap having a sleeve tting in said bore for supporting that end of the impeller unit.

18. In a liquid separator, the combination of a housing forming a separator chamber, said housing having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a liquid drain outlet, with a separator unit comprising a supporting bolt tand a plurality of rotary impellers, said impellers having laterally sloping and radially extending blades adapted to be engaged by fluid passing through said cham- HENRY H, LOGAN. 

